Stand for christmas trees



April 24, 1951 D. J. GRIFFIN STAND FOR CHRISTMAS TREES Filed Oct. 11, 1946 i j INVENTOR.

. J. GRIFFIN.

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 FFICE STAND FOR CHRISTMAS TREES I Dewey J. Griffin, Wichita, Kans.

Application October 11, 1946, Serial No. 702,751 1 Claim. (01. 248-46) This invention relates to a stand for Christmas trees, and has for one of its objects a stand having a three-point bearing to equalize the load between the three bearings and to avoid rocking movement while supporting a Christmas tree, and the stand being collapsibly arranged to compact its components for storage or shipping the same.

Another object of the invention is that the components of the stand may be manufactured from scraps or waste materials that occur in the manufacturing of other devices of like material.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a stand from three distinct elements, each of which is formed by its respective die as a matter of speed in the construction and assembly of the stand, whereby complications are overcome for simplifying the assembly of the components, and furthermore, to apply the stand quickly and firmly to its variety of uses that the same may serve, but chiefly as a support for a Christmas tree.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and wherein like characters will apply to like parts in the different views.

Referrin to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the support in which a shaft, or trunk of a tree is secured, parts removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, with the tree removed.

Fig. 3 is a collapsed position of the stand for storage, shipping, or the like.

Fig. 4 is a transverse view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of an application of one of the braces to the trunk of a tree, parts removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 6 is an end view looking into the'outer end of one of the braces, its respective foot member, and disc carrying means for the inner ends of the foot members, the disc and brace partly removed.

As a more concise description of the components of the stand, it will be seen that a disc I is provided and on which is rockably connected the inner ends of foot members 2 that are adapted to rock on a horizontal plane in either direction. Said members are channel-like in form, the legs of which converge outward from the disc, and being so formed, the web of the channel has a comparatively wide engagement where it seats on the disc to brace against twisting movement and being rockably secured to the 2 disc by a rivet 3 that engages in an aperture through the wider end of the web.

It will be seen that each foot member has a brace element 4, said brace being U-shaped in cross section and rockably connected by a rivet 5 adjacent the outer end of the foot member and adapted to engage in the channel with its legs downward. The braces are of greater length than that of their respective foot members, whereby when their upper or inner ends are engaged on the trunk of a tree 6, the brace elements will be positioned on an angle upward of sufficient height where they meet the tree to amply brace the same as the base of the tree is secured to the center of the disc by a nail 1, or the like, inserted through an aperture 8 in the disc and being driven into the trunk to avoid separating the tree from the disc to raise the same as tensioned by the brace elements. To engage the braces, the free ends thereof are driven so that the legs will penetrate the trunk of the tree suflicient to avoid their disengagement should the tree be unequally loaded with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tree trunk. Furthermore the legs when forced into the trunk will lift the same so that the disc will raise on a higher plane than that of the outer end of the foot members to assure that the principal portion of the load will be carried equally at such points to avoid a rocking movement of the stand.

At the time of collapsing the stand as assembled, a pair of foot members, selectively, will be rocked to their respective sides of the other foot member as shown in Fig. 3, after which the free ends of the braces will be rocked downward into their respective channels of the said foot members so that the free ends of the braces will not interfere with each other as rocked downwardly, the position of which is shown in said Fig. 3, and likewise the disc as positioned thereunder to retain the foot members on the same plane where they lie on the disc as shown in Fig. 4, while the braces are embedded between the legs of their respective foot members, and when so collapsed, the rivets being secured in the usual mechanical way will render the components of the assembly against vibration when packing individually for transportation.

Such modifications may be made as lie within the scope of the appended claim.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a stand for Christmas trees, a horizontally positioned disc having three apertures equally spaced inwardly from the periphery of the disc and triangularly arranged Within the disc, a foot member for each aperture comprising a web and legs and being pivctally connected to the disc at one end of the foot member from whence the web converges outward. to the other end, a brace member adapted to engage between the legs at said other end of said foot member and being pivotally connected thereto, said brace, members at their free ends adapted to rock vertically toward and from the foot members while the foot members are adapted to rock on a horizontal plane selectively, whereby the members of the stand are collapsibly arranged and adapted tounfold for engagement as bracing means tor a Christmas tree vertically positioned. on the disc, said brace members bein Ueshaped: in cross sec tion with their legs extending downwardly to DEWEY J. GRIFFIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date ,Mahon Oct. 21, 1919 Dover Sept. 13, 1927 OLoughlin Dec. 20, 1927 Peskulich Dec. 3, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany June 21, 1917 

